Craig Finn and Mark Mallman Heart New York

Prolific Minneapolis piano-rocker and longtime Craig Finn buddy Mark Mallman has finally called in a favor, and we’re glad he did — “You’re Never Alone in New York,” coming off August’s Invincible Criminal and featuring a few select lines from the Hold Steady’s Finn, is a heartwarming little treat. It’s mawkish, for sure, with over-the-top keyboard stabs and sax solos, but that’s perfect for the gushy sentiment. The real takeaway here, at least for H.S. obsessives, is that, despite having lived in New York since 2000, this is the first time Finn’s sung about the city explicitly. He doesn’t have any great insight, but does let himself get joyfully carried away — showing up on the bridge (which sounds pretty much exactly like a Hold Steady bridge); Finn reminds us, here, “you can change your mind / you can change your life.” You’re never alone in New York!